Article grouping &amp; transfer apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for receipt and select accumulation of individual articles so as to form an article group, and subsequent transfer of the article group in furtherance of cartoning same, is provided. The apparatus includes a track assembly, an article receiver and an article group advancer. The track assembly delimits a track travel path, the track travel path characterized by an individual article ingress segment, and an article group egress segment. The article receiver is operatively supported by the track assembly for travel corresponding to the track travel path, the article receiver receiving individual articles at the article ingress segment of said track travel path. The article group advancer selectively engages and advances an article group formed in relation to the article receiver within a segment of the track travel path downstream of the individual article ingress segment thereof, received articles having a first orientation at the individual article ingress segment of the track travel path, select accumulated articles having a second orientation at the article egress segment of the track travel path.

This is a United States national patent application filed pursuant to 35 USC §111(a) claiming priority under 35 USC §120 of/to U.S. Pat. Appl. Ser. No. 62/031,297 filed Jul. 31, 2014 and entitled ARTICLE AGGREGATION APPARATUS, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to one or more of systems, apparatuses, assemblies, subassemblies, and/or methods for aggregating/collating articles from a source of conveyed articles so as to form a select set or group of articles. More particularly, the subject illustrative, non-limiting disclosure is directed to a track based article grouping and transfer apparatus to effectuate a select aggregation of individually fed articles, via electronic variable motion, and the transfer, transfer/loading of such selectively aggregated articles in furtherance of the packaging of same.

BACKGROUND

Various mechanisms are known to effectuate the grouping/packaging of articles from a source of flowing articles in a top-load fashion. Having generally evolved from rotating “buckets,” such top-load case loaders are presently and commonly characterized by expensive robotic loaders or other pick-and-place mechanisms, e.g., multi-axis servo loaders. Moreover, in addition to the function of article transfer/loading, article collating and orienting are believed advantageous, and in select case loading scenarios, are in fact essential, for example, to maintain a packaging friendly distribution of the article contents as is to be appreciated with regard to flowable and/or settleable article contents. Notionally, articles may comprising packages, pouches, bags, etc., with flowable or settleable contents such as grains, nuts, chips, etc. of particular but hardly exclusive interest.

Of heretofore known article transfer assemblies, many are characterized by either or both of grouped article unloading devices (i.e., pushers), e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,215 (Walz), U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,856 (Odenthal), U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,601 (Odenthal et al.), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,140 (Iwasa), and fixedly dimensioned pockets for the receipt and transfer of articles, e.g., Walz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,790 (Benner Jr. et al.), Odenthal, and Iwasa. Moreover, to the extent that on-the-fly adjustment of an article pocket is contemplated for article transfer without an orientation change (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,752,828 (Gudim et al.)), inner and outer chain assemblies are used for such function. Further still, to the extent that the condition of flowable or settleable article materials in process are addressed in the art (Benner Jr. et al.), cumbersome conditioning and inversion are contemplated. Finally, while package orientation is further disclosed in connection to rotary type package transfer systems (e.g., Odenthal), there appears no versatility for variable orientation and maintenance of dimensional article uniformity in advance of top loading or the like. Thus, a need remains for an elegantly simple, robust solution to transfer and accumulation of articles in furtherance of top loading same while maintaining or re-establishing an article group condition to enable reliable case or carton registration/loading.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Apparatus for receipt and select accumulation of individual articles so as to form an article group, and subsequent transfer of the article group in furtherance of cartoning same, is provided. The apparatus includes a track assembly, an article receiver and an article group advancer. The track assembly delimits a track travel path, the track travel path characterized by an individual article ingress segment, and an article group egress segment. The article receiver is operatively supported by the track assembly for travel corresponding to the track travel path, the article receiver receiving individual articles at the article ingress segment of said track travel path. The article group advancer selectively engages and advances an article group formed in relation to the article receiver within a segment of the track travel path downstream of the individual article ingress segment thereof, received articles having a first orientation at the individual article ingress segment of the track travel path, select accumulated articles having a second orientation at the article egress segment of the track travel path.

In a first embodiment, a track traveling collated article carrier is provided. The carrier generally includes a longitudinal expansible element having leading (e.g., an article receiver) and trailing (e.g., an article group advancer) portions supported upon the track via leading and trailing linear servos. An optional intermediate element, supported and passively guided upon the track may suitably be provided, first and second grouped article compartments thereby delimited. Via select operation of the contemplated apparatus, either of vertical stand-up or horizontal laydown top load patterns are realized.

In a further embodiment, an article receiver and an article group advancer functionally delimit a grouped article carrier characterized by a single compartment. Each of the receiver and advancer are operatively linked to the track/track assembly via linear servos for independent, select variable speed travel thereon.

In yet a further embodiment, the article receiver and the article group advancer have discrete but nonetheless related travel paths. The track assembly includes first and second independently driven belt sets which operatively support first and second article receivers. The article group advancer is operatively supported at an end portion of a rotatable arm, the arm driven so as to delimit an arm travel path having a portion corresponding to a segment of the track travel path delimited by the individual article ingress segment thereof and said article egress segment thereof. More specific features and advantages obtained in view of those features will become apparent with reference to the drawing figures and DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-19 are provided herewith wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts, animation still in the context of an article packaging system or process, a contemplated article aggregation apparatus operatively intermediate an article infeed conveyor and a case conveyor;

FIG. 2 depicts receipt of discrete articles from the article infeed conveyor by an aggregate article carrier of the FIG. 1 apparatus;

FIG. 3 depicts alignment of a loaded FIG. 1 aggregate article carrier with a case of the case conveyor in furtherance of establishing a “stand-up” loaded article orientation;

FIG. 4 depicts the system/process of FIG. 1 wherein the contemplated article aggregation apparatus is controlled/operated so as to result in a manipulation of the aggregate article carrier containing aggregated articles in furtherance of establishing a “laydown” packaging operation;

FIGS. 5 & 6 depict the FIG. 4 system, elements eliminate for the sake of clarity, with representative manipulations of the aggregate article carrier containing aggregated articles sequentially shown;

FIG. 7 depicts, animation still, a further contemplated article aggregation apparatus operatively intermediate an article infeed conveyor and a case conveyor;

FIG. 8 depicts receipt of discrete articles from the article infeed conveyor by an aggregate article carrier of the FIG. 7 apparatus, and alignment of a loaded aggregate article carrier with a case of the case conveyor in furtherance of establishing a “stand-up” loaded article orientation;

FIG. 9 depicts the aggregate article carrier of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 depicts, animation still, a further contemplated article aggregation apparatus operatively intermediate an article infeed conveyor and a case conveyor, grouped articles shown received by an article receiver;

FIG. 11 depicts the apparatus of FIG. 10 at a later time, the grouped articles captured between the article receiver and the article group advancer, the group advanced towards an article group egress segment of the track travel path;

FIG. 12 depicts substantive particulars of the article aggregation assembly of FIG. 10, perspective side view, process flow left to right;

FIG. 13 depicts the assembly of FIG. 12, alternate perspective side view, elements removed to illustrate select particulars;

FIG. 14 depicts the partial assembly of FIG. 13, “front” elevation;

FIG. 15 depicts the partial assembly of FIG. 13, downstream end elevation;

FIG. 16 depicts the partial assembly of FIG. 13, “rear” elevation;

FIG. 17 depicts the partial assembly of FIG. 13, overhead plan view;

FIG. 18 depicts the partial assembly of FIG. 13, upstream end elevation; and,

FIG. 19 depicts the partial assembly of FIG. 13, underside plan view.

SCOPE OF THE DISCLOSURE & DESCRIPTION

The instant disclosure generally sets forth illustrative, non-limiting article aggregation apparatuses and attendant systems and/or processes. Contemplated apparatuses are generally shown with reference to any of FIGS. 1, 7, & 10. The apparatuses of FIGS. 1, & 7, shown in the context of a system, are initially taken up, with an overview of the apparatus of FIG. 10, and the further particularized mechanical illustrations thereof thereafter provided as per FIGS. 12-19.

With general reference to FIGS. 1-9, articles are generally and sequentially received, retained, and releasable from article carriers or the like between an article ingress area and an article egress area (e.g., FIG. 2 & FIG. 8), and, alternately, the article sets may be retained, manipulated, and released from article carriers between an article ingress area and an article egress area (e.g., FIGS. 5 & 6). By way of contextual illustration, and without intended limitation, contemplated articles comprise bags, pouches, etc. that contain flowable or settleable contents.

In connection to the operations of each of FIGS. 1, 4 & 7, a transfer assembly 100 operatively links articles 22 (e.g., bags or pouches) of an article inflow 20, and cases 42 of a case conveyor 40. All assemblies contemplate article collation or aggregation. “Stand-up” article orientation (i.e., a vertical stand-up pattern (VSP)) for case loading is provided for as per the operations of FIG. 1 or FIG. 7, with a “laydown” article orientation (i.e., a horizontal laydown pattern (HLP)) for case loading as per FIG. 4. The assemblies may be fairly characterized by an article ingress/loading area 102 and an article egress/unloading area 104, and generally include a track 110, an article engaging or retaining member 120, spaced apart from a portion of the track corresponding to the segment spanning the loading and unloading areas, and collated article carriers 130/130′ travelable with respect to the track and guided thereby.

The carriers are generally characterized by leading and trailing elements operatively supported for travel upon the track at select variable speeds, as by linear servos. With reference to the assemblies of FIGS. 1 & 4, the carriers may each generally comprise a longitudinally expansible element 132 having leading 134 and trailing 138 portions supported upon the track via leading 140 and trailing 142 linear servos, with an intermediate element portion 136 supported and passively guided upon the track. First 144 and second 146 carrier compartments are generally delimited by the longitudinally expansible element. The compartments may be readily, selectively and dynamically altered (i.e., their configuration or shape, e.g., width) via increasing/decreasing a gap for/between the servos upon the track. Via provisions of the expansible element, both stand-up (FIG. 1) and laydown (FIG. 4) case loading is enabled. With reference to the assembly of FIG. 7, the carriers 130′ are characterized by a single compartment 148 delimited by leading 150 and trailing 152 panels operatively linked to the track via leading 140 and trailing 142 linear servos (FIGS. 8 & 9).

Via select changes in travel rates for the leading and trailing carrier elements, articles may be readily and reliably receiveable within one or more dynamically formed or formable carrier compartments at the article loading area (see, e.g., FIG. 2, FIG. 6, and/or FIG. 8). Thereafter, collated articles are effectively secured or securable, fore and aft, within the carrier compartment while traveling to the unloading area (see e.g., FIG. 8), or otherwise prepared for release (e.g., via an altered orientation, see FIGS. 4-6), with further select manipulations of the travel rates for the leading and trailing carrier elements. Finally, collated article egress from the compartments is likewise facilitated via further select manipulations of the travel rates for the leading and trailing carrier elements (see e.g., FIG. 3 (compare to FIG. 2)).

With reference now to FIGS. 10-19, a further contemplated article aggregation assembly 100′ is generally and notionally shown in respect of FIGS. 10 & 11, with a representative, non-limiting mechanized apparatus generally shown in FIG. 12, key operative elements depicted in the several varied views of FIGS. 13-19. Generally, and as is best illustrated with reference to FIGS. 10 & 11, the article group advancer is operatively supported at an end portion of a rotatable arm, with the arm driven so as to delimit an arm travel path having a portion corresponding to a segment of the track travel path delimited by the individual article ingress segment thereof and said article egress segment thereof. In as much as two arms are depicted, a single arm with opposingly paired advancers is contemplated in addition to alternate structural embodiments.

In keeping with the disclosure to this point, sequentially introduced articles are to be selectively collected at an article ingress/loading area 102′, retained as an article set or group, and transferred as an article set, either with or without further manipulation along the way, to an egress/unloading area 104′ in furtherance of reliable containerizing of the article set.

With reference now to FIGS. 12-19, notionally, and preliminarily, belt mounted/supported tools (i.e., article receivers, e.g., plates) periodically cycle about their sprockets, to and through the loading and unloading areas of the apparatus, for receipt of individual articles exiting the article conveyor. Advantageously, the belt tools travel through their travel path at a given or select velocity profile, a profile characterized by any/all of acceleration, deceleration and/or constant velocity. A rotating tool/tools (i.e., an article group advancer, e.g., a paddle or the like) selectively sweeps through a 360/180 degree path comprising the loading and unloading areas of the apparatus so as to operatively engage and secure the article set received upon the belt mounted tool, the article set effectively “book ended” by the opposed tools (i.e., portions thereof) in advance of secure arrival of the article set at the unloading area.

As will be later described, advantageously, and via select operation of the belt and rotating tools, pressure may be applied, and/or applied and maintained, to the article set (and thus the articles of the article set), during the altering of their travel orientation (e.g., from a horizontal (i.e., lay flat) to a vertical (i.e., stand-up) orientation) whilst transferring articles from the article conveyor to a container of the container conveyor. In doing so, a substantially uniform distribution of article contents is maintained, or re-established as the case may be, i.e., maintenance of a lay flat content distribution relative to the article volume is sought in transitioning 90 degrees+/− to a stand-up top load orientation, thus aiding the packing/packaging of the article set. This is especially the case for flowable/settleable article contents.

With general and passing reference now to FIG. 12, the contemplated apparatus is illustrated, process flow left to right, with article loading area 102′ and article set unloading area 104′ as indicated, an article set or group guide 120′ generally intermediate thereof and generally delimiting same. Major assembly components include belt sets 107, at least one belt mounted tool 109 for travel to and through the loading and unloading areas, sprocket sets 111 for selectively driving the belts, sprocket drivers 113 in the form of servo assemblies, a rotatable tool or tools 115, 115′ arranged and configured for travel to and through the loading and unloading areas, and a servo assembly 117 for driving the rotatable tool(s). Moreover, and as is generally shown, structural elements and a variety of adjustment assemblies are provided to facilitate the processing of a robust variety of articles, article configurations, and/or article sizes.

With continued reference to FIG. 12 and particular reference now to FIGS. 13-19, apparatus 100′ is generally and fairly characterized by a first belt set (e.g., BS1) and second belt set (e.g., BS2), each belt BS1 a, BS1 b of the first belt set operatively supported by a first set of sprockets (e.g., S1 a, S1 b), and each belt BS2 a, BS2 b of the second belt set operatively supported by a second set of sprockets (e.g., S2 a, S2 b), see especially, e.g., FIGS. 17 & 19. Each of the sprocket sets includes an active, driven sprocket (e.g., S1 a, S2 b) and a passive or idler sprocket (e.g., S1 b, S2 a). The driven sprocket of the first belt set S1 a is selectively driven by a first servo assembly SAa via a first suitably journaled/configured shaft assembly 127, with the driven sprocket of the second belt set S2 b selectively driven by a second servo assembly SAb via a second suitably journaled/configured shaft assembly 129 (see e.g., FIGS. 17 & 19).

The first belt set carries a first belt tool 109 a, and the second belt set carries a second belt tool 109 b (see especially FIG. 19). Each of the belt tools may be fairly characterized by an arm 123, advantageously an adjustable length arm, having an article receiver 125 (e.g., a plate or the like) extending therefrom (see e.g., FIG. 13, 15 or 19). As should be readily appreciated, travel rates for each arm may be individually controlled and/or regulated, one arm being operatively disposed for travel commensurate or corresponding with the article group guide segment (FIG. 14) while the other arm exits that segments and travels around, about and over the downstream sprockets associated with the belt in furtherance of a return to the article loading area.

With renewed reference to FIGS. 12 & 13, and particular reference to FIGS. 14, 15 & 18, rotating tools 115, 115′ are provided at the end of a rotatable arm. Advantageously, but not necessarily, tools are provided at opposing ends of the arm, for example, paddles or plates as shown, more particularly, plates generally configured at those part-and-parcel of the belt supported arms. The arm is generally centrally rotatable, more particularly, an axis of rotation thereof is axial aligned with the upstream journaled shaft of the apparatus, a suitable servo drive assembly 117 provided as shown to effectuate selection rotation of the arm and thus the tools. Notionally, the rotating tool is an “upstream” tool and the belt tool is a “downstream” tool, gap G between the rotatable tool and the upstream belt tool (FIG. 14) to be occupied by a select article set or grouping.

Finally, since the structures of the assemblies, subassemblies, and/or mechanisms disclosed herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or general characteristics thereof, some of which forms have been indicated, the embodiments described and depicted herein/with are to be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. Moreover, while nominal processing has be described and detailed, and to some degree alternate work pieces and systems, assemblies, etc. with regard thereto referenced, contemplated processes are not so limited. Accordingly, the scope of the subject invention is as defined in the language of the appended claims, and includes not insubstantial equivalents thereto. 

That which is claimed:
 1. Apparatus for receipt and select accumulation of individual articles so as to form an article group, and subsequent transfer of the article group in furtherance of cartoning same, the apparatus comprising: a. a track assembly delimiting a track travel path, said track travel path characterized by upstream and downstream portions, an individual article ingress segment, and an article group egress segment, said individual article ingress segment and said article group egress segment within said upstream portion of said track travel path; b. an article receiver operatively supported by said track assembly for travel corresponding to said track travel path, said article receiver receiving individual articles at said article ingress segment of said track travel path; and, c. an article group advancer for select engagement and advancement of an article group formed in relation to said article receiver within a segment of said track travel path downstream of said individual article ingress segment thereof, received articles having a first orientation at said individual article ingress segment of said track travel path, select accumulated articles having a second orientation at said article egress segment of said track travel path.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said article receiver and said article group advancer is selectively driven with respect to said track assembly.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said article receiver and said article group advancer is selectively driven with respect to said track via servos.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said article receiver comprises first a second article receivers and said article group advancer comprises first and second article group advancers.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said article receiver comprises first a second article receivers and said article group advancer comprises first and second article group advancers, said first article receiver and said first article group advancer, and said second article receiver and said second article group advancer each operably pairable within said upstream portion of said track travel path in furtherance of effectuating article grouping operations.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said article receiver comprises first a second article receivers and said article group advancer comprises first and second article group advancers, said first article receiver and said first article group advancer, and said second article receiver and said second article group advancer each operably pairable within a segment of said track travel path substantially delimited by said individual article ingress segment thereof and said article egress segment thereof in furtherance of effectuating article grouping operations.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said article group advancer is operatively supported by said track assembly for travel corresponding to said track travel path.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said article receiver and said article group advancer are operatively supported for travel upon said track assembly at select variable speeds.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said article receiver and said article group advancer are operatively supported for travel upon said track assembly at select variable speeds via servos.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a grouped article carrier characterized by leading and trailing elements operatively supported for travel upon said track assembly at select variable speeds, said leading element comprising said article receiver, said trailing element comprising said article group advancer.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said article receiver and said article group advancer delimit grouped article carriers characterized by a longitudinally expansible element uniting said article receiver with said article group advancer.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said grouped article carrier is dimensionally alterable at said individual article ingress segment and at said article group egress segment.
 13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said grouped article carrier is dimensionally alterable at said article group egress segment so as to top load grouped articles in either of a vertical stand-up pattern or a horizontal laydown pattern.
 14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein a portion of said longitudinally expansible element intermediate said article receiver and said article group advancer is operatively supported by said track assembly.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said portion of said longitudinally expansible element intermediate said article receiver and said article group advancer delimits first and second article group compartments for said grouped article carrier.
 16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein a portion of said longitudinally expansible element intermediate said article receiver and said article group advancer is operatively supported by said track assembly for passive travel thereon.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said portion of said longitudinally expansible element intermediate said article receiver and said article group advancer delimits first and second article group compartments for said grouped article carrier.
 18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said track assembly comprises first and second independently driven belt sets, said article receiver comprising first and second article receivers, said first article receiver supported by said first belt set, said second article receiver supported by said second belt set.
 19. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising a rotatable arm, said article group advancer extending from an end portion thereof, said arm driven so as to delimit an arm travel path having a portion corresponding to a segment of said track travel path delimited by said individual article ingress segment thereof and said article egress segment thereof.
 20. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a rotatable arm, said article group advancer extending from an end portion thereof, said arm driven so as to delimit an arm travel path having a portion corresponding to a segment of said track travel path delimited by said individual article ingress segment thereof and said article egress segment thereof.
 21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said article group advancer comprises a pair of article group advancers, a first article group advancer extending from a first end portion of said rotatable arm, a second article group advancer extending from a second end portion of said rotatable arm, said second end portion of said rotatable arm opposite said first end portion of said rotatable arm. 